Tounkan namo in Guinea: The Hero

04/15/21 • 21 min

After the death of his father all Mamadou Alpha wanted was to get his mother out of poverty and become her hero: the perfect son, the man of the family. At 18, he embarked on a dangerous migration route to Europe they call “the adventure”, or “tounkan” in the local Malinke language. Thousands of adventurers die trying to cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life. But Mamadou survived and was forcefully returned home. Yet, he considers his fate worse than death.

In this episode, we used music by Ba Cissoko. With original reporting and editing by Makeme Bamba in Conakry, Guinea and Naira Davlashyan, Marta Rodriguez Martinez, Lillo Montalto Monella & Arwa Barkallah in Lyon, Mame Peya Diaw in Nairobi, Lory Martinez in Paris, France and Clitzia Sala in London, UK. Production Design by Studio Ochenta. Theme by Gabriel Dalmasso. Special thanks to our producer Natalia Oelsner for collecting the music for this episode. Our editor-in-chief is Yasir Khan.

Our podcast is available on Castbox, Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you liked this episode, please give us five stars and leave a comment. Share with us your own stories of how you changed and challenged your view on what it means to be a man. Use #crylikeaboy. If you’re a French speaker, this podcast is also available in French: Dans la tête des hommes.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Banna Ba Mamaenara in Lesotho: Absent fathers

Across Southern Africa, thousands of men are abandoning stable education and employment and are instead seeking a fantasy fortune in South Africa's abandoned mines. The illegal miners, known as the zama zamas, not only put their lives at risk but also leave their families behind in countries like Lesotho and Zimbabwe for weeks if not months at a time.

In this episode, we explore how men's desire for status can be destructive for families and how future generations are impacted by growing up with absent fathers. We delve into the conversation with Mpiwa Mangwiro, an advocacy specialist for MenEngage Africa Alliance based in Johannesburg, and Rosalind Morris, an award-winning anthropologist who has launched a project devoted to the illegal miners in South Africa.

This show has been produced by Khopotso Bodibe, in Johannesburg; Pascalinah Kabi in Maseru, Lesotho; Lillo Montalto Monella, Marta Rodríguez Martinez, Naira Davlashyan, Arwa Barkallah and Mame Peya Diaw in Lyon. Special thanks go to Lory Martinez and Clizia Sala from Studio Ochenta. The music theme by Gabriel Dalmasso.

If you are a French speaker, this podcast is also available in French: Dans la tête des Hommes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Tounkan namo in Guinea: The Adventure

Fana is 18 but he feels he became a man at the age of 12 when he decided to go on an adventure and leave his home in Guinea, seeking a better life in Europe. Unlike our previous hero Mamadou, he made it to France. But what is the price he had to pay for his success?

With original reporting and editing by Makeme Bamba in Conakry, Guinea and Naira Davlashyan in Loches, France. Marta Rodriguez Martinez, Lillo Montalto Monella & Arwa Barkallah in Lyon, Mame Peya Diaw in Nairobi, Lory Martinez in Paris, France and Clitzia Sala in London, UK. In this episode, we used music by Ba Cissoko. Production Design by Studio Ochenta. Theme by Gabriel Dalmasso. A special thanks to our producer Natalia Oelsner for collecting the music for this episode. Our editor-in-chief is Yasir Khan.

If you’re a French speaker, this podcast is also available in French: Dans la tête des hommes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.